SH2/Ōmokoroa Road Roundabout Nears Full Completion

The new roundabout at the intersection of State Highway 2 and Ōmokoroa Road is largely finished, with Western Bay of Plenty District Council confirming at the start of April that line marking, landscaping and safety barriers are all in place. A temporary 60 km/h speed limit remains on the approaches while drivers adjust to the new layout.

The one remaining task is applying a final skid-resistant road surface, which requires warmer and drier spring conditions before it can be laid. Council infrastructure growth and delivery manager Annelie Badenhorst explained that a combination of wet weather and industry-wide supply issues had pushed that work back to spring, when it will perform as intended.

Stage 1 of the wider Ōmokoroa Road upgrade, between SH2 and Prole Road, is expected to wrap up in May, while Stage 2 will continue for several more months. The roundabout and associated interim works represent between $20 million and $24 million of the overall $43 million SH2/Ōmokoroa Road upgrade, which has received $38 million from the Infrastructure Acceleration Fund and a further $5 million — plus land valued at $1.49 million — from NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.

Designed as an interim solution with a 10–15 year lifespan, the upgraded intersection will operate until future connections to Takitumu North Link Stage 2 are confirmed. The council thanked HEB Construction, Beca, NZTA and the many service providers involved, as well as the community for its patience throughout construction.

Originally published in Katikati News (Sun Media).